HDR Advisor FAQs

As an HDR Advisor you will want to attract quality HDR candidates. Applicants will be looking globally for the university that provides the best fit and support for their research interests, career goals and lifestyle.

• Sell the projects that you are qualified to supervise and have the resources to support.
• Be clear about the theoretical rationale for each of these projects, their aims and methodologies and the likely modes of data collection and analysis.
• Be clear about the knowledge and skills that are required to successfully complete such projects. Which skills can be acquired during candidature and which skills must the applicant bring with them?
• Talk with promising undergraduate and coursework postgraduate students at JCU.
• Take the opportunity to sell yourself and your research by giving seminars at institutions external to JCU and at conferences etc.

You can place information on your prospective projects on you Research Portfolio page on the JCU website or on the GRS webpage. Consider using social media, e.g. ResearchGate or Twitter, to sell your projects and invite prospective applicants to communicate with you and your other candidates.

See also:

• Supervising PhD students : a practical guide and toolkit by Kearns and Finn (2017), a copy of which is in the JCU Library in Townsville or can be purchased online from Thinkwell
• The module on ‘Attracting and selecting doctoral applicants’ in the Epigeum Online course.

Visit How to Apply to learn more about the application process.

JCU’s English Language Requirement (ELR) for entry to a HDR is based upon the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), although equivalent TOEFL and Pearson tests are also acceptable [place link]. JCU HDR applicants from an English as an Additional Language (EAL) background are required to have an overall score of at least 6.5 with no component score below 6. This requirement should be considered firm, and exceptions are not normally made. The writing requirements of a HDR are substantial, and candidates must have a reasonable proficiency in English for academic purposes before they begin. Certain candidates may be required to undertake a Post-Entry Language Assessment (PELA) upon commencement, to determine whether they require intensive English language support at the start of their candidature.  Further information about the PELA system:  https://www.jcu.edu.au/graduate-research-school/candidates/commencing-students/post-entry-language-assessment-pela

IELTS recommends that a student is likely to need three months’ full-time English language study to increase their score by 0.5.

JCU HDR applicants may be asked to undertake a Pre-Entry Language Assessment (PrELA) as part of the JCU application process, if:

• There is a well-founded request to waive the English Language Requirements from a prospective advisor or Dean of College
• There is some doubt about their English Language competency i.e., competency claims are based on co-authored papers in English
• They have scored highly on their scholarship application and but do not have a current IELTS score and the University wishes to decide on whether to hold a stipend or fee-waiving scholarship while the candidate completes an IELTS test.

Please note that a PrELA test is not intended to replace a poor IELTS result. Applicants who undertake the IELTS test but do not reach the benchmark entry scores are encouraged to undertake more English training before re-sitting the IELTS test and re-applying for entry to a JCU research degree.

A cotutelle or conjoint HDR degree is an HDR degree granted by both JCU and another tertiary institution through a Cotutelle or Conjoint Enrolment agreement.

Candidates who are citizens of Australia and New Zealand, as well as Australian Permanent Residents, have their tuition fees supported by the Australian Government in the form of a Research Training Program Fee Offset and will be exempt from tuition fees for a defined maximum period (four years full-time equivalent for Doctorate and two years full-time equivalent for Masters by Research enrolments).  Visit the Australian Government’s Research Training Program website for further information.

A proportion of International HDR Candidates (in practice, those who receive competitive stipend scholarships administered by JCU) may receive a Fee Offset or Fee Waiver and will be notified if this is the case.  Some other international candidates have their tuition fees paid by sponsors such as their home country government or AUSAID.

Note: If you are advising a candidate who is supported by their home country government, you should find out the penalty that they will incur if they do not graduate with the research higher degree in which they initially enrol. If such a candidate is struggling, it might be kinder for their candidature to be discontinued before they amass a crippling debt of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

All other international HDR Candidates are required by the Australian Government to pay tuition fees. For fee scales, visit the JCU International Student Centre website.

All candidates commencing on or after 1 January 2019 will be liable to pay a nominal tuition fee of up to $4,000 if their candidature exceeds maximum time (i.e., 4 years full time equivalent for Doctoral Candidates and 2 years full time equivalent for Masters Candidates). Any such fees liability must be paid before a candidate can receive their testamur.

For frequently asked questions please refer to the GRS website.